Timer



April 7, 1925.

A. W. KAU FMAN TIMER Filed Feb. 9, 1923 iiilllllll A d I W WWW Patented Apr 1, 192.5,

.UNlTED fiTATES r FFICE.

TIMER.

Application filed February 9, 1923. Serial No. 617,915.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit lrnown that I, ADAM il liianrnax,

a citizen of the United States,and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timers; and 1 do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to timers for internal combustion engines.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a timer in which the rotor is wholly floating and is adapted to automatically align itself with the stationary contacts to thereby insure a positive maize and break.

and thus secure maximum elliciency.

Further objects are to provide a timer in which the wear is materially reduced by the provision of a floating, yieldingly pressed rotor, to provide a timer which may be readily applied to existing types of engines without altering the timer shaft, which will require a minimum of time to effect the change from the standard type, and to provide a timer which will have a long life.

Further objects are to provide a timer which may be cheaply 1 produced, which avoids'several of the steps in the production of standard timers, and to provide a timer in which the major part of the rotor may be formed from a stamping.

This invention is an improvement over that disclosed in my copending application for timers, Serial Number 568,980, filed June 17, 1922, and has in general the same objects as those recited in such application. An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the timer. 1

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the rotor. Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the usual timer shaft 1 provided with a reduced extension 2 is employed. This timer shaft is provided with a hole 3 in the reduced extension 2. Within this hole a T-shaped member 4!: is .inserted with its inwardly directed arms fitted within such hole. This member may conveniently be formed of wire, bent in the manner shown. It forms in effect a key, or spline.

The rotor comprises a sleeve, conveniently formed from a stamping and provided with a relatively large body portion 5 and a reduced extension 6, projecting therefrom at one end. lit the other end of the body portion an outwardly turned flange 7 is provided, such flange being conveniently turned at right angles to the body portion. The reduced portion 6 is provided with an outwardly pressed portion 8, which forms in effect a li'eyway, adapted to loosely receive the key l. It is to be noted particularly that the reduced extension 6 does not fit the portion 2 of the shaft, but is spaced therefrom to allow the rotor to freely adjust itself with reference to the shaft. A ring 9 of insulating material is carried by the body portion '5 of the rotor and bears against the outwardly turned flange 7. This ring is provided with a cut out portion 10, within which is seated an outwardly curved or slightly bowed metallic contact member 11, as may be clearly seen from Figures 2and 3. This member is retained in place by means of a screw 12, which is passed through a counter sunk opening formed in the flange 7 through the insulating ring and, threaded into the contact member 11. The screw aids in retaining the ringin position; such ring may, however, be pressed upon the body portion 5 of the rotor, or, in fact, may be otherwise secured.

A helical spring 13 loosely surrounds the reduced portion 2 of the shaft and bears against the shoulder formed by the larger portion 1. This spring is spaced from the reduced portion 2 and bears at its outer end against the shoulder 14:, which joins the extension 6 and the main body portion 5 of the rotor.

The usual type of casing 15 is employed and carries a plurality of resiliently supported contact fingers 16, which are laterally pressed against the outer face of the rotor. These fingers are conveniently mounted in retaining members 17 and communicate electrically with binding posts 18, as disclosed in the above noted copending application.

In the operation of the device. the freely floating rotor will adjust itself accurately to the stationary contacts 16, so that its face is accurately aligned with the surface of such contacts. The floating arrangement of the rotor permits it to adapt itself, as described, to various inaccuracies in the positioning or constructing off the other portions of the timer and allows it to acconnnodate itself to variations due to The device may be readily assembled and positioned upon standard tiiner shafts, such as that illustrated, by removing the usual rotor, positioning the spring 13 dropping the key 4i into place and sliding the rotor over the shaft and key. The cap 15 is then positioned and the device is complete.

It will be seen, therefore, that a timer has oeen provided which may be readily applieijl to existing types of engines in a very simple and inexpensive manner without in any Way altering or chan g the timer shaft. it will also be seen that the freely floating rotor, although in drivin' engagement with the shaft nevertheless, tree to adjust itself and accurately align its face With the stationary contacts If this timer is made as an entirely new unit, obviously, the threaded extension 19 of the timer shaft may be omitted and other means may he employed for coupling the rotor in driving relation to the shaft. For example: The shaft may be provided with a flattened portion and the rotor may be correspondingly shaped.

Although one specific form of the invention has been described in considerable detail,'itis'to be understood that the invention may take several diil'erent forms and such invention, tl'ierei'ore, is to be limited only as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A 'tin'ier comprising a rotary shaft, a casing surrounding said shaft and having a plurality of stationary contacts, rotor comprising a cylindrical shell having an insulating ring provided with a contact, a helical spring surrounding said shaft and yieldingly urging said rotor outwardly to cause the outer face oi said insulating ring to bear against said stationary contacts, and

' connecting; said 1 and shaft in lug relation, said 1' )1 being spaced said shaft, whereby said rotor is earn a freely floating manner by said g, a fastening in. d shaft and be ing against said shoulder and rotor, and meal foperatirely connecting said rotor and shaft.

timer cm'iunisii'ig a rotary shailt,

, id shaft and having a I contacts, a rotor surand he a cylindrical i s id shaft, an insulating on said eylindrical 1 t rried by said electriea Celine-ecu to said i'UiOi', a sw'roigud said shat: and a i n sp ced A ring mounted a nietall rotor outwar ly to cause its to bear against said yielding acts, and means for eliecting a driving engagement hot-ween said shaltiznd rotor, whereby said r or is positively driven by said shaft and i reely floats thereon.

in testin'iony that I claixn the foregoing; have hereunto set my hand at lriilivaulcee, in the county ot Mil tauliee and State of ll isconsin.

ADAM W. TAUFMAN. 

